The officers have been given seven days to come up with detailed plan and the Delhi govt also seeks people's suggestions on the scheme. It will be implemented in 2-3 months.

Delhi Metro and DTC bus services will be made free for women

Delhi Metro travel to now be free for women passengers! In a populist announcement made by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Metro and DTC bus travel services will be made free for women in order to encourage them to use public transport. Kejriwal, addressing a press conference today, said that the fare will be waived for women travelling in Delhi Metro and DTC buses soon and the proposal will be implemented in the next two-three months. Reports suggest that the decision will cost the Delhi government around Rs 1,200 crore per annum. The step, according to Kejriwal, is voluntary. He said that those women who can afford to travel by Delhi Metro and DTC buses should voluntarily continue to pay fares and not make use of the subsidy scheme. The officers have been given a period of seven days in order to prepare a detailed plan. The Delhi government also seeks the suggestions of people over the scheme.

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the Delhi Assembly polls which are scheduled to be held early next year. On Saturday, during a public meeting in Delhi, CM Kejriwal announced that the city government was considering to waive off fare for women in DTC buses and Delhi Metro to encourage them to use public transport. He cited the safety of the women as the prime reason behind the move. Kejriwal said that Delhi government would pay the cost to Delhi Metro which would be incurred due to this populist decision.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot already started discussions on the probability of offering fare-waiver to women in all public transport buses run by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) as well as Delhi metro, as per a PTI report. Transport Department officials earlier said it was easy to offer free-travel in DTC and DIMTS even as it would be a challenging factor to implement the same in Delhi Metro, the report said.

In recent years, Kejriwal and the Centre were at loggerheads over issues pertaining to Delhi Metro- sanctioning of new projects, especially Delhi Metro Phase IV, and fare hike. However, the Centre and Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs are yet to comment on this latest move by CM Kejriwal.